Memory cells are implemented in devices such as integrated circuit devices to store data. The data may be used during operation of the device or, in the case of programmable integrated circuits, to configure the integrated circuit to perform functions desired by the user of the device. However, for a variety of reasons, data may become corrupted. The corrupted data may impact the performance of the integrated circuit. In some instances, the corrupted data may render the integrated circuit unusable until the correct data is restored in the memory. While techniques exist to both detect and correct data errors without having to reload the entire memory, such techniques have significant limitations.
One way that data in a memory element may be corrupted is through a radiation impact, often called a single event upset (SEU) strike. Such a strike may change or “upset” data stored in a memory element. Conventional techniques to sink minority carriers generated during an SEU strike rely on a “buried layer” having a high recombination rate. However, experiments have shown that this layer leads to opposite result. That is, the SEU rate increases as highly doped buried P+ layer repels minority carriers, such as electrons in p-substrate. Accordingly, conventional methods of addressing the impact of an SEU strike have failed to prevent the undesirable loss of data.